Eric Middleton's outward life is comfortable, mundane, safe and not going anywhere important. For much of his working day he attempts to cope with the twentieth century. He thinks himself into wild imaginations, drifts into reflective abstractions and tries out intricate daydreams and trips of fantasy. He seems to occupy two lives, two minds. When he wins a huge amount of money, a breathtaking opportunity confronts him; a parallel life, an alternative life, a different life. The plan to keep his wealth a secret leads him into new experiences which challenge his intrinsic weaknesses. He embarks on a cathartic and disastrous path towards his own chaos, and his Faustian failings lead to catastrophe and a shocking climax to his journey.